Skills Needed in Web Design

Web design is a multi faceted medium and there are many skills required. With so many elements to control and work on it is no wonder that web design is a hard area to get into.

The Graphic Element

First and foremost a web designer needs a good eye. Layout, colour schemes, formatting and design are the building blocks of any website. An unstructured, cluttered or badly organized site can drive viewers away, whereas an elegant one will draw people in and bring customers flocking back again and again. Thus it is important that a designer needs to be creative; after all, a website is a work of art.

Speedster

Whilst there is a lot of work to juggle, a very important skill for the designer is speed. Clients have deadlines. These need to be met promptly; hence the longer work hours that web designers tend to employ. However, speed should not come with a detriment to quality. A keen attention to detail is another key skill to have as a designer, and also the drive to keep improving and learning in order to continue to create great works. It is no wonder that many designers are perfectionists.

Software Guru

As this is a design based medium, it is of course important to have a thorough knowledge and understanding of the software that will be used. At the higher levels it is necessary to be an expert in HTML. Knowledge in a wide range of programs and software such as Photoshop, Dreamweaver and Java script is also required but not as essential.

Whilst many creative people are great in the design work place, they tend to be a little more in their own world. This is not the way a web designer can operate. Attention to detail, yes, but there is a huge need for the designers to have a logical approach to the way they work, and to have the ability to solve problems as and when they arrive, which of course they will.

At the end of the day, a web designer is a person of many talents. The work is hard, time consuming and relentless. A great work ethic, people skills and of course the ability to listen all make for a great web designer.